weekend inspiration

Happy friday! This evening we're going out to the Green Street Fair downtown where they have food, art, handmade goods, etc. that are organic & eco-friendly. Here are some of my favorites to end the week:

Blog: That's Happy. Party ideas, art inspiration, and pretty snippets of life - this blog is such a favorite.

(1 chris silas 2 & 3 that's happy)

Blog post: yellow + black + beige, by {wit + delight}. I love that gorgeous bedroom.

(house & home)

Shop: katherine j lee. A cute shop full of organic bed & table linens. I can picture the yellow version of those pennant pillows in our guestroom.


PS: Plus, letterpress week on oh hello friend.

flowers & plants

The arrival of spring has made me eager to dress our house with flowers & plants. I have visions of hanging planters on the front porch, terra cotta pots on the steps filled with boxwood (I'd love to make a topiary), and windowsills lined with pots of roses & herbs...


a flower market (photo by nevara)


greenery in lonny april (photo by patrick cline)


potted plant ideas (smore here on martha)


forsythia in our dining room (from Easter)


Peter & Nerissa's lush backyard

That is what my daydreams are looking like lately, what about you?

andrea dozier.

I have a few talented family and friends (real life & online) who I've wanted to blog about for some time. So, today I'm excited to post about photographer Andrea Dozier, a fellow Air Force wife and someone who has inspired me both personally & professionally.

"I am head over heels in love with photography. I feel that there is a beauty in every person, in every moment. I just capture it. I love that shooting weddings & children allows me to inject a bit of fantasy & drama that might otherwise escape our memory." - Andrea Dozier

Andrea is a boutique photographer (and graphic designer, mom, & baker!) with a unique, beautiful style of capturing real life moments through photography. Everything from her website, to her portfolio and the thoughts she shares on her blog, all blend together seamlessly and artistically - it is so beautiful and inspirational. A further glimpse of her work:

simply bloom workshop (recap here)



joe & sarah's vintage wedding


vintage children's shoot (more here)


baby jack (and an adorable pirate outfit!)

(images: Andrea Dozier)

Also - her blog covers everything from motherhood and military life to her portfolio work and thoughts on running her own business. It's a must-read. Hopefully you will be inspired, too! You can also find her on facebook & twitter.

tiny pots

These pots below made such beautiful, simple wedding favors for this Connecticut wedding. I can also picture them pairing perfectly with a stack of old books on a big desk, mantle, or shelf at home...

(photos: union photo via style me pretty)

sewing projects

Over the weekend I pulled some of my sewing books off the shelf and made a list of projects I'm determined to finally do. I have yet to complete a single project out of these books (in stitches, applique your way, simple sewing) even though I got them with the intention of making lots of things. Here are a few things from my new list (I snapped of photo of each page).

1. floor cushions


2. simple totes


3. garland sheers


4. storage totes


5. napkins & coasters

Have you made any projects from these books, or recommend any of them? I still don't own a sewing machine, but next time I'm at my mom's (or mom in-law's) I'm hoping to cross a few of these projects off my list.

weekend inspiration: beautiful things

interior photography by hallie burton (found via lushlee)


tiny bouquet of flowers (as seen here)


"little people" photography (also by hallie burton)

(photos linked to source above)

This weekend we're spring cleaning, renting movies, and going to the last winter farmer's market here (grass-fed meat, cheese, eggs - just no fruits/veggies yet). We've also been making loads of buttermilk pancakes since finally buying our first griddle the other week (yum!). Wishing you a weekend filled with fun.

jcrew may

How fun would it be to crash this little crewcuts party from the May jcrew?

boden usa

Just added Boden USA to the list of catalogs I get in the mail - thanks to my best friend who keeps me up to date on these things. I try to get as many pretty things by post as possible to balance out those junk ads and bills.

(photos boden usa)

A few of my favorites (shown above):
1 ruffled henley, 2: flare chinos, 3: v-neck top, 4: Breton top

nostalgia...

On Sunday night we spotted Father of the Bride 2 on tv and had fun watching it together. I grew up in the 90s and love films like these. And I secretly still adore some of the 90s fashion styles like the wavy hair and loose fitting floral dress that Annie wears in the movie (below), although she makes it look much cooler than I ever did.

(photo 1 via, 2 via)

The funny scene of Annie & her mom as cute pregnant ladies (above), in comfy oxford shirts with legging shorts, has to be my favorite. Anyone else still nostalgic about the 90s (or another decade)?

making lemonade

Yesterday we were craving lemonade at dinner. All I had were two lemons, so after a quick google search I found the recommended proportions and decided to try it out. It ended up being so good and easy to make that I will never go back to powder mix or store bought again.



We have a little juicer that his parents handed down to us (something I never would have bought, but I love), and juicing our two lemons made 1/2 cup, so we halved the following recipe.

Perfect, fresh lemonade:
1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 lemons using a juicer)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3-4 cups cold water
Dissolve 1 c. sugar in 1 c. water over heat (to make simple syrup). Mix it in a pitcher with 1 c. fresh lemon juice, and add 3-4 c. cold water to dilute. Enjoy. And for fun, pour into cute glass bottles to drink from (I keep a cupboard shelf full of pretty saved ones!).

martin + osa

Over the weekend I went (for the first time) to the clothing & apparel store Martin + Osa (a brand inspired by these awesome world travelers). The displays had me hooked: brightly colored clothes paired with rugged shoes and jackets, promotional posters with a safari-travel vibe, and the entire store styled perfectly to fit the theme.

(photos: martin + osa)

I'm not sure about the quality and fit of their clothing yet, and their website isn't as impressive as the store, but overall the brand definitely inspires me. I'll be going back soon. Have you been?

weekend inspiration: watercolor

We're starting some house decorating this weekend. It looks like our weekend will be filled with paint, trips to Lowe's (maybe Ikea too :), and some quality time with our laundry room (first on the list). I've been doing a little watercolor art lately, so here's some inspiration for the weekend.

striped purse (as seen on that's happy)


rose petals print (by working woman)


tiny map illustration (as seen on frolic)


bike invites (as seen on bird & banner)

PS: Check out Amy's surprise wedding on eat drink chic.

calypso adventures

Calypso St. Barth is one of those shops I visit (online) and end up dreaming I'm some place else. Last night I was on there and found what I'd pack for a little Grecian adventure - flowing dress & scarf, a traveler's journal, picnic tote with French napkins, and a shiny necklace. That same dream involves plane tickets literally growing on trees...

1: journal, scarf
2: tote, napkins
3: dress, necklace

You Are My Fave is my fave

More so, Melanie is. Here's why:
1) she kindly asked me to join the fun over on You are My Fave & do a guest post while she honeymooned in March.
2) she then sent a cute, mood-boosting package in the mail: a glassine bag wrapped in handmade flag bunting, with a Polaroid (of flags) tucked inside. Sealed with pretty deco tape & had a thank you message on the front.
3) have you seen her blog?

She also reads minds and made the flags in custom colors to match our dining room shelf (green, white, & julia child's peachy-orange, to be specific). Thank you, Melanie!